I made this photograph at sunrise as the cherry blossoms opened above the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial settled into gentle light. Branches formed a natural frame, and the first color moved from warm peach to soft pink, turning the water into a calm surface that held the monument with clarity. I was drawn to the contrast between the delicate petals and the steady neoclassical lines across the basin.
I worked with a tripod and a slow shutter to quiet the water and keep the memorial crisp. Look for small notes that reward a second look: a thin ripple near the shore, petals clustered along a curve of branch, and the way the dome sits inside the arc of blossoms. Color stays natural and measured so the print lives easily with wood, linen and neutral walls.
The feeling I wanted is hopeful and welcoming. For me this scene is about Washington in spring, a brief season when light, water and stone share the same calm voice.
Designer and photographer, seduced by color... Read more…